The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-11-26

For over four years was mate and mas
ter OF small schooner plying between the
Spice Islands and Singapore, in the interest
OF an American trader l do not think
made single trip without seeing from one
to dozen of the horrible devil-fish. One
day in the Banda Sea it fell dead calm, and
a current drifted us close in upon an island
to the north Of the Lesser Timor. We let
go the anchor in little bay, and when the
schooner brought up she was in twelve feet
OF water and within fifty feet Of the beach.
The island was about three miles long by
one broad, and covered with forest and
underbrush. 1t was charted as uninhab-
tied, except occasionally by pearl divers or
wreckers, and Us the weather bade fair to
hold pleasant no anchor watch was set. AS
the weather was hot the sailors slept on
deck, there being one white man and five
natives. Everything passed of quietly un-
til just in the gray OF morning, when o ter
rible commotion on deck routed me out. 1t
seemed that an octopus had crawled up the
low side OF the schooner, perhaps to crafty
its curiosity, but seeing the sleeping men
had, perhaps also to crafty its curiosity,
flung feeler at one of them and taken such
hold OF his hand and arm that he awoke
with shout of pain. The others were also
aroused, and seeing what had happened
and made the octopus release its hold. l
came on deck just as it fell into the water
alongside, and the splash was as heavy as
il man had fallen overheard. A portion
of the feeler which had grasped the sailor
had been broken of by the blows. There
were three or four feet OF it, and for time
it squirmcd and twisted about the deck like
snake. 1t had touched the mans flesh
only in one spot on the back Of the hand,
but he made as much ado over 1t as one
would bullet in the log. 1t was horrible
wound, however. The flesh was puckered
up and blistered, and the spot where the
cup had taken hold looked like an erysip-
elias sore. 1t was long four weeks before
the wound healed, and the scar left closely
resembled that Of q burn.
l had the sailor in the cabin dressing his
hand, and it was twenty minutes after we
hud beaten of the octopus, when there was
another cry from the deck and heard the
men run forward and tumble into the fore
castle and slide the cover. More from in
stinct than any thought Of danger closed
the cabin door, then the skylight which
lighted the cabin. There was slide door
in the forecastle bulk-head communicating
with the hold, and also one from the cabin
After two or three minutes the sailors came
climbing over the cargo-we being about
one.third full-and let them into the cabin,
1 never saw more frightened lot of men,
and could not at first believe the story
they told. They said that when the octopns
fell into the water he swan of in the di-
| rection Of o rocky reef on our port quarter,
and distant about two hundred feet. After
few minutes the men noticed a considera-
BILE commotion in the water, and this grad
ually approached. All at once they made
1 uivo ot IL.
and before they drew back and ran away
the monsters were throwing their feelers
over the low bulwarks.
| 'There's one Of 'em, sir-there's onep'
shouted the mate at this moment, and we
| turned our faces to the skylight, to see
| three or four of the horrible feelers play.
ing erit. Attic same moment the schoon-
| er was canted to port with q sudden null
| all Of three streaks, or with Us much force
| as strong puff Of wind would have exer-
cised in the open sea- At this movement
all the natives broke out into yell oi
alright, and, as / sternly rebuked them
one of them exclaimed:
20 Captain, the devil fish have come
aboard. and not one Of US can escaper'
There was no longer any doubt that we
were beset by the creatures. There was
not second in which the feelers were moi
. plbyluS ONCS tuc ohyAiSue, ouu OtuerS COulC
be heard fastening to and dragging things
about the deck. AS the entire affair wa.
afterward put in writing, sworn to by every
man on board, and left with the representa-
t,ve of the British Government at Surabaya
Island of Java, shall not hesitate here t.
state particulars. The noise ON dock might
be likened to row between four or Ave
men. Every thing movable was beinl
moved and flung about. My skylight had ,
hard wood frame and heavy glass, and tnt
feelers found very little to grasp. TIL,
noise made as the cups fastened to tn,
glass by suction and let 60 again was lik,
the snap OF q pair Of pincers. Lookinl
from the bull's-eye in the stern could SCI
that the water was all in commotion
although there was not y breath Of air out
side.
Ihad dozen muskets, as many pixies
, several cutlasses, and nine or ten hatchet
, in the cabin. This was tho schooner'
regular armament, for we were continual,
among suspicious people. let the mel
! take their choice Of weapons, and then di
, vided our force and sent half the numbe
back to the forecastle, from which the,
could open the attack at signal. Thel
, carefully slid back the door Of the com
| panion to get o look ON deck. Tho sigh
! was one no man could ever forget.
there was one octopus on the port rail thor
, were dozen, and il there was one feele
twisting and squirming around the deck
! there were forty. They were twisted abou
every thing and pulling at every thing
Every cosi Of rope was OF Its pin and bein
dragged and whipped about in the wildes
. fashion, and from the motion Of th
D schooner one could not but think the NOR
sters were trying TO capsizs her. did nc
. have more than thirty seconds time I
. glance around before three or four feeler
0 shot at me at once, and closed the slid
! not second too soon to avoid them.
Q 1t was death Ia its most horrible form I
I put foot on the deck. aud / sent word I
I the mon In the forecartle not to stteml
q any movement Iwas h hopes that II "
3 remained quiet the creatures would II,
: themselves out and 60 away after swhil
and we spoke In whispers and moved sho,
n - softly ~ possible. They had come abosr
Q OF us about six O'Clock In the morning, IN
y at tan O'Clock were still there, though 4
Q the last halt hour the noise on deck b
4 been less. This YVES secevltsd Tor by 4